Twelfth Report op the State Entomologist 271 



chestnuts" are made for the exit of the larva (PI. VIII, fig. 5). The 

 female lives but a short time, — a week or two at the most. All of the 

 larvse of this species enter the ground in the autumn, none wintering 

 in the nuts although thought probable by some writers. 



The adults of B. rectus appear also about the time of the blossoming 

 of the chestnuts. When rearing this species. Dr. Hamilton found that its 

 appearance in the breeding cage was much more irregular than was that 

 of the preceding, — varying from June 28 to October i. On the latter 

 date, there were in the cage pupoe in various stages and many larvae that 

 would doubtless live over the approaching winter. A delay until the 

 second season is quite common in this species and is one of nature's 

 safeguards against extermination should there be an entire failure of 

 the crop in any one year, as happens occasionally. The preceding species 

 has been reared only from chestnuts, while B. rectus is known to breed 

 also in chinquapin nuts and acorns. This diversity of food habit in 

 B. rectus may account in part for the marked irregularity of the appear- 

 ance of the weevils. There appears to be no record of B. probos- 

 cideus remaining over until the second year in the pupa state, although 

 it is probable that such instances occur. The method of oviposition of 

 the smaller weevil appears to be practically the same as in the larger 

 species. 



Urosigalphus armatus Ashm., is the only known parasite of this genus, 

 having been reared from all the species except B. obtusiis Blanch. 



Remedies and Preventives. 



It would not be worth while to attempt to prevent oviposition in 

 the growing nuts by poisoning the weevils, even if practicable, on ac- 

 count of the labor involved. Moreover, it has not been shown, as in 

 the case of the related plum curculio, Conotraclielus nenuphar, that these 

 weevils could be killed in this manner. Their short adult existence in 

 comparison with that of the plum curculio would lead one to doubt the 

 efficacy of any such measure. 



The best methods of controlling these insects will be in preventive 

 measures. All infested nuts should be destroyed each year before their 

 occupants have had opportunity for leaving them and entering the 

 ground for their transformations. When the nuts are not picked from 

 the trees they should be gathered as soon as they fall and tested by turn- 

 ing them into a vessel of water, when, by brisk stirring, most of the 

 wormy ones, being lighter than the liquid, will float to the surface and 

 may easily be removed and destroyed. The others should be taken from 

 the water and after drying, placed in a tight receptacle until shipped. 



